This summer my goal is to unwind and recharge. This past school year was long and tiring for both personal and professional reasons. Once summer hit, I started working towards reaching my goal. Lucky for me my birthday happens to coincide with the end of the school year. To celebrate the big day my mother planned a day of relaxation out in Montauk at Gurney's Resort & Spa.
On my birthday, we packed up the car and headed out east. Leaving with ample amount of time to beat traffic (the U.S. Open was that weekend) we arrived at remodeled paradise. I do not remember the old Gurney's, but my mother did and she was amazed by the transformation. Since we were early, we walked around the resort. It is nestled into the hill and overlooks the expansive beach. It is without a doubt breath taking. After sitting on the quiet beach before our appointments we headed up to the spa.
We checked in for our appointments and got our cozy oversized robes. The spa has not yet been touched by the remodeling. We were assured that by next summer it would get its necessary facelift. Compared to the rest of the hotel it is clear that the spa is not as modernized. This did not matter once my masseuse came to pick me up. Johnny came to my rescue. I could tell that he knew exactly what to do. Unlike any other massage I have had before, Johnny had me start on my back. His rationale was on point:
He starts with a head massage and did not want to get my hair oily. (so considerate)
The table is heated so it warms up your back for him to work more effecively
When you are face down you become more congested and you feel uncomfortable when you flip over. This is avoided because it naturally settles once the massage is over.
We barely discussed what was bothering me because Johnny said, I feel it out and apply pressure when needed. He got to work and I could tell this was going to be good. My left leg has been tight for eons due to never dealing with a trampoline injury. He honed right in on it and spent the perfect amount of time on it. Once he was finally done, Johnny mentioned that it was tight. That was an understatement. With precision, Johnny found muscles I did not know were tight one me, such as my forearms, but they enjoyed the attention. The hour flew by and I was in a zen state. Johnny's approach to my massage can only be described as revolutionary. That night I slept like a rock to allow the benefits of the massage sink in and reap the benefits when I woke up.
When my mother and I met back up, she had the same response: That massage was amazing. Her masseuse was just as good and worked her magic. I did not want the day to end, so we continued the relaxation in the steam room. It was tired, with its sea-foam green tiles, but you could barley see it in the thick fog of steam. We then moved to the small sauna for dry heat. The facilities are for sure the down fall of the spa, but it is now only temporary. They will be renovated after the busy summer season passes. It is unfortunate also that once we were done with our services we could not use the hotel facilities such as sit on the beach. There were tons of chairs open. It is understandable if there was a death match for the chairs but there were plenty to choose from.
If you are out east in Long Island, at any time of year and need time to refresh and recharge your batteries, make sure to put Gurney's Resort and Spa at the top of your list.